How to avoid the inevitable? The cure would be a good start.

For days now the same question echoes in my head: “Is it possible to change someone’s essence?” According to metaphysics, the “essence” of something is made by the unchanging qualities of that same thing. This definition alone serves to explain that, in essence, we cannot change what we are.

Since January 27™ I’ve been thinking about Laís Souza. The ex-gymnast has undergone 13 surgeries over the course of her career and, unable to return to the gymnastics, she accepted the invitation to try skiing. Many people will ask themselves “why didn’t she simply stop training and accepted her ‘limits’?”. My answer will be: because there is no such possibility.Once I watched a documentary about the human nature and the mechanism of self- preservation which refers to the fear of dying, and this is what prevents people from exposing themselves to risk situations, although some people simply do not have it.

Laís suffered a severe spinal cord injury, obviously it is too early for any prognosis but taking into account the style of life and the seriousness of the injury, no prognosis is satisfactory and probably the sport will never again be part of her routine. Thinking about the past of Laís, I bet that if it were not for the seriousness of the injury, she would soon go back skiing. I believe chemistry explains a lot about this, but to make it simple – without talking into consideration the endorphin and its variants – the desire to expose oneself to the risk is part of the essence of many athletes and even amateurs, like me for example, and no one can judge the essence of another. It is very likely that if I had not suffered an injury in the spinal cord, on a hot beach day like today, I’d be surfing and balancing myself on the air, even because I would have probably fallen before. I think that while we have an idea of the risk, we don’t have a device to trigger the fear. As for you, who’s reading this article at this moment and have already thought of taking your son’s skateboard away, I would advise: Only 6% of all spinal cord injuries occur while practicing sports, however more than 50% are resulted from car accidents.

How to avoid the inevitable?? How? The cure would be a good start.

On May 4th, Floripa will host the Wings for Life World Run, the first global race of the history, bringing together 35 cities of the world, running together, with 100% of the funds reverted to the researches in favor of the Spinal Cord Injury cure.

Run for Laís, run for me, but mainly: run for all those who in the future do not deserve to have their dreams interrupted suddenly, being either a close relative or a stranger. If you cannot run, you can still register to help, with only 26 dollars you will make a new world for a lot of people! Cure Girl Sabrina